too many stories {frocktober, day 1}

Dress: Modcloth (remixed 1 // 2)

Frocktober has begun! 

I wanted to start out this brand new Frocktober with a dress that I've already blogged before. This is a new remix for this galaxy-print dress. It's one of my favorites! It's probably the softest, most comfortable dress I own. I've worn it plain, with tights and boots, and I've also worn it with a striped sweater on top. This outfit showcases a third way to wear it, tucked into a neutral skirt and swept into a cardigan. 

This dress has a very bold, unique print but that doesn't mean it's impossible to wear! I think sometimes those fun "statement pieces" we buy end up sitting in our closet for years without much wear. Get creative and find ways to incorporate those pieces into your wardrobe more regularly. See what you can come up with!

Speaking of galaxy, this dress always reminds me of some of my favorite space stories -- Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica (don't look at me like that), Guardians of the Galaxy. 

One of my favorite things about Fall is the arrival of new TV shows. I love watching TV and keeping up with characters and stories. The problem is, it's almost impossible to actually stay caught up. My husband and I have an enormous pile of TV shows that we're either in the middle of, just starting, or hoping to start. It's quite overwhelming. I obviously don't want to spend my entire life bogged down with TV, but it is something we enjoy doing together.

How do you decide which shows to really commit to, and which ones to let fall by the wayside? 

We have started/are in the middle of/are currently watching: 

Community, Gotham, Sleepy Hollow, New Girl, The Mindy Project, A to Z, Reign, The Vampire Diaries, Walking Dead, Will and Grace, Playing House, Bones, House of Cards, Parenthood.

Now that I've typed all of that out, I'm feeling pretty disturbed. That doesn't even count our wishlist of shows, which includes shows like Arrested Development, Parks and Rec, Chuck, Fringe, Scandal, Freaks and Geeks, Suits, and Alias.

Before you start sending me all of those "technology-is-evil" videos about looking up and living life and throwing our TV out the window, we don't actually spend all of our time watching TV. We actually haven't watched any TV at all this entire week, which is really the problem. We started watching Gotham and are already 2 episodes behind. We've been trying to finish Will and Grace for almost 4 years. There are a lot of shows we want to watch, but I think the real skill comes with knowing when to say, this is never going to happen. We need to try to be wise and figure out the shows that are actually our priority. We've gotta cut some of these loose, especially the ones that require weekly viewing. They'll either be phenomenal and we'll watch them leisurely online in 10 years, or they'll end up crappy and we'll be glad we didn't waste our time (ahem, looking at you, himym). 

How do you choose which shows to watch? What're your current faves?

Also, there's a cat in this picture. Sneaky.

decorative cardigans

Dress/Shoes (shop!): Ruche, Sweater: LOFT

Mercy me, I love a good cardigan.
Actually, they don't even have to be good. They can be cheap and mediocre and I still like them more than many other articles of clothing.

The journey of the cardigan has been a jolly one. At first the word "cardigan" elicited visions of grandmotherly crochet sweaters, or even better, Meg Ryan from You've Got Mail. 
What a great movie.

Anyway.
The first person I met other than Meg who wore cardigans on the regular was a girl named Lauren, who I met freshman year of college. I thought it was cute and quirky, and then I realized that I was slowly becoming bewitched by them. They go with everything. They're comfortable, they make me warmer, and they come in all kinds of colors. It's like the next-door neighbor to a favorite pair of shoes.
Before long, we were browsing Target for new cardigans all the time. The first time I saw a patterned cardigan I thought the sky had opened up and bequeathed me a heavenly gift of polka-dot proportions.

I'm not sure when it began, but somewhere along the line, the cardigan snuck up on all of us and began to filter into the everyday woman's wardrobe. Not just the pixie-cut blonde types. Every style, every person, everywhere.

Honestly, this cardigan isn't even a cardigan.
It's a short-sleeved button-up sweater that is purely ornamental.
But that is how imbedded I am into cardigan culture - I wear them ornamentally now.

Frocktober day 1 has come and gone!
Will you join in on the challenge?

I love to see everyone else's Frocktober posts, and hope you'll join in (it's okay if you start a little late!). It's a great way to really dig into your wardrobe, and establish a new appreciation for your dresses and their endless versatility.
Plus, it's just a fun way to join in on the #FrocktoberSisterhood!

This little badge was created by Stephanie over at Anie Inspired, and Ruche is also hosting a Frocktober challenge for all the Ruchettes out there.
I was so excited to get this tweet from them this afternoon!

Make sure to tag any frocktober Instagram posts with #Frocktober and #FrocktoberSisterhood, and follow along with my Frocktober challenge here on the blog, and with @CaitSchan on Instagram. :)

15 items, 15 outfits

I actually meant to post this yesterday, but things got a little busy and I had to postpone!

I am embarking upon a new kind of outfit challenge, taking a leaf from my "5to5" outfit post from two months ago. 

I am taking 15 basic items from my wardrobe, and attempting to remix them into 15 unique outfits. Yesterday was day 1, so this challenge will last for every last day of June!

Introducing the 15:

15 items for 15 outfits.

As you can see, these items include not only the basic clothing but also the accessories and the shoes!

I spent time planning and figuring out the best way to maximize these items, and am excited to show you what I come up with. 

Until outfit 1,

Caitlin